Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and a host of legends put on a show to raise millions for bushfire relief
The Bushfire Bash delivered as a spectacle and raised vital funds for those in need, with Australia’s 16-year-old prodigy stealing the show on the pitch and on the auction site. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS.
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When West Indian legend Brian Lara walked into the second net at Junction Oval, Nathan Lyon marked out his full run-up.
Lyon had shelved what could have been exuberant celebrations for Sydney Sixers’ Big Bash final win at the SCG on Saturday night and made his way to Melbourne to be a ball thrower before the Bushfire Bash.
With so much cricketing royalty in the one place, even Australian coach Justin Langer was in awe.
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Lyon had been throwing balls to Luke Hodge and Melbourne Storm star Cameron Smith. But when Lara took his turn, one pad on, holding a special bat he went all the way to Sydney to fetch, Lyon got a little serious.
It was that sort of day at Junction Oval, fundraising with an emphasis on fun, but still with that tinge of “can you believe this?” even from Australia’s best.
“I’m in my element. This is cricketing royalty,” Lyon said after getting through Lara a couple of times, bowling with purpose.
“It was unbelievable; he’s still got it, too.”
Test quick Peter Siddle wandered over to bowl to Lara too, as did Fawad Ahmed.
Earlier, Courtney Walsh, still all arms and legs in an action that netted 519 Test wickets for the West Indies, cut Andrew Symonds in half without really trying.
Langer was ready to whip out his autograph book.
“It was like I was looking at all my heroes,” he said.
“I used to watch Brian and hope he would get 100 and we’d bowl the West Indies out for 120.’’
That was all before the 10-over match, but even Ricky Ponting, captain of his XI, who had two nets last week with Lara and another before play yesterday, because “cricket is always serious”, said the practice was the best part.
Plus the fundraising.
Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association committed $2 million to help support clubs affected by the bushfire emergency, among donations on the day that raised more than $7 million.
A signed shirt of 16-year-old sensation Phoebe Litchfield contributed more than $3500. That was how much it was selling for on the official auction site — more than Sachin Tendulkar’s, more than Lara’s, and rising.
Litchfield, the youngest player, male or female, to smash a Big Bash 50, then went out to bat with Ponting up the other end.
“It was completely surreal. When Ponting left (retired), I was like, ‘Oh bugger’, but Brian Lara walked out so it was just amazing,” she said.
During the innings break, the Australian women’s T20 team fielded while Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland bowled an over to Tendulkar, who hadn’t batted anywhere for five years.
In the next innings, Hodge bowled Adam Gilchrist, and Cameron Smith was bowled by Wasim Akram but, as in the backyard, he couldn’t be out first ball. Wow moments for those on-field matched the many for the hundreds hanging over the fence.
UPDATE: Thanks to the incredible generosity from Australia and around the globe, we've raised over $7.7 million to support communities and families impacted by the recent bushfires.
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 9, 2020
There's still time to donate & get involved I https://t.co/3iqqzeM4BO #BigAppeal 💛💚 pic.twitter.com/QjYSvkkTIi
For the record, the Ponting XI won by one run, when Nick Riewoldt couldn’t hit a six in the final over.
That’s a sentence, much like the one-off nature of the occasion, that will most likely never be written again.